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Background Paper on Sustainable Development Goals

Workshop on “Sustainable Development Goals: Asia-Pacific Perspectives for the Post-2015 Development Agenda,” 7 May 2012

Asian Development Bank, Manila

I. Context

1. During the recent preparations and informal negotiations leading up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), referred to as “Rio+20,” which will take place in June 2012, a high level of support has emerged for the adoption of a set of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to underpin better implementation of international commitments on Sustainable Development. The recent phase of discussions about SDGs among international bodies, governments and CSOs were initiated by a proposal from the Governments of Colombia, Peru and Guatemala in mid 2011. The growing support for SDGs has been evident in the text of the UNCSD zero-draft Outcome Document1 currently under discussion in the preparations for the Rio + 20 Conference. SDGs have also been endorsed in the text of the recent report of the UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability. 2. The rationale is essentially that as the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) process will arrive at its 2015 terminal point, there is a case for adopting a new set of global development goals that capture the sustainable development agenda as set out in Agenda 212 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), with poverty reduction as the overarching goal. It is argued that this will catalyze more vigorous and focused implementation of sustainable development in line with the aims of Rio+20. 3. While there is no formal agreement yet on a definition of SDGs, the consensus is that they should seek to integrate the three pillars of sustainable development (environmental, economic and social) in a form that supports the implementation of past and current sustainable development commitments and enables progress to be monitored through the use of agreed SDGs and specific targets and indicators that go “beyond GDP.” 4. There is also wide support for the objective that SDGs should form a key element of the Rio+20 outcome, possibly in the form of an agreement on the scope of SDGs and the process to be followed to develop their architecture and the implementation framework. 5. There is strong agreement that the SDGs should not divert attention or effort from the continued implementation and accelerated achievement of MDGs in the period leading to 2015. It is also proposed that the development of SDGs should build on the success and lessons learned from the MDG experience, and should recognise a continued effort to achieve the specific MDGs. Furthermore, SDGs should form a key part of the work on developing a post-2015 development framework, building on the MDG experience. 6. It is in this context that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has convened a high-level workshop on Sustainable Development Goals: An Emerging Framework for the Post 2015 Development Agenda. The key objectives of the workshop are to:

1 United Nations, 2012, “The Future We Want", New York 2 United Nations, 1992, Agenda 21, New York. http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/index.shtml

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Raise awareness on the possible merits of SDGs Introduce SDG proposals currently under discussion and key themes and

issues involved Encourage dialogue on possible challenges and opportunities in

operationalising the SDGs Provide a platform for a technical discussion of the main SDG implications

for the Asia-Pacific region

II. SDGs – What is Proposed?

7. The original proposal made by the Governments of Colombia, Peru and Guatemala set out a vision of Rio+20 as a critical opportunity for agreement on the means of catalysing the implementation at the national level of inter-governmental commitments on sustainable development by adopting a suite of SDGs, backed up with specific targets and indicators. This would provide a framework to implement the Agenda 21 and JPOI commitments as well as aligning with and complementing the MDG process. The proposal envisioned the agreement on a set of priority thematic areas at Rio+20 and a mandate to define the SDGs in detail post Rio. 8. Early in 2012, informal discussions took place at a retreat in Tarrytown, NY, chaired by the Government of Colombia, with the aim of providing an opportunity to wide selection of stakeholders to contribute to the further development of the SDG proposal3. According to the Chair’s summary, there was broad agreement on four areas:

Rio+20 is a milestone event and the international community should strive for a high level of ambition, with clear and robust outcomes in the form of a renewed and focused sustainable development agenda.

Sustainable Development Goals are understood in the context of the post-2015 development framework. SDGs have a definitive added value and will be further elaborated and completed within the post-2015 process.

There should be a single unified process leading to the definition of the post-2015 framework, building upon government consultations as well as inputs from stakeholders, and expert and scientific advice.

There should be a single set of international development goals with sustainable development and poverty eradication the overarching focus. 

9. The Tarrytown retreat also revealed strong support for the following guiding principles for SDGs:

Poverty eradication as an overarching goal; Universal relevance of the SDGs, but allowing for varied country and

regional circumstances and priorities and capacity for implementation of specific voluntary targets;

Action-oriented; Strongly linked to Agenda 21 and JPoI; Effectively address and integrate the economic, social and environmental

dimensions of sustainable development; Enable articulation of the nexus between the different issue areas covered

by the SDGs;

3 The three Discussion Notes prepared of this retreat are included in Annex B.

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Voluntary application, in keeping with national realities, priorities, and capacities;

Time bound and measurable, with targets and indicators; and, Few in number and easy to communicate and understand.

10. It was also agreed that the formulation of the SDGs should be closely aligned with the MDG process, its lessons learned and the discussions of the post-2015 development agenda. 11. Also, in early 2012, the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability published its report, Resilient Planet, Resilient People: A Future Worth Choosing4, in which the Panel endorsed the SDG proposal, arguing that post-2015 the world faced a wider set of sustainable development challenges than those covered by the MDGs. It recommended that the SDGs should be universal and express a broadly agreed strategy for sustainable development. 12. The UNCSD Secretariat, as part of the preparations for Rio+20 has published an Issues Brief on Current Ideas on Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators (Annex C). This noted that there was no single, universally accepted definition or assessment metrics for sustainable development. It reflected the growing support for SDGs in the preparations for Rio+20 and the range of views on how the SDGs might link with the MDGs and post-2015 development agenda. It noted the proposal of the Government of Colombia and Guatemala and their ambition that Rio+20 would serve as a platform for the international community to begin the process of agreeing a suite of SDGs. It also compared the focus areas for priority attention at Rio+20 identified by member governments and major groups and the suggested themes for SDGs proposed by governments and CSOs. 13. Finally, the United Nations published the zero-draft of the Outcome Document of Rio+20, The Future We Want. In the section on “Framework for action and follow up,” it addresses the need to accelerate and measure progress. Here it “agrees to launch an inclusive process to devise by 2015 a set of Sustainable Development Goals that reflect an integrated and balanced treatment of the three dimensions of sustainable development, are consistent with the principles of Agenda 21, and are universal and applicable to all countries but allowing for differentiated approaches among countries.” 14. The zero-draft document has been the subject of extensive comment and proposed amendments by member states and has recently been the focus of discussion at the First and Second UNCSD Informal Informal Consultations and the Third Intersessional Meeting of UNCSD. The original text on SDGs has been the subject of a wide range of proposed amendments (resulting in the updated version of compilation text). There is a wide diversity of views among these comments but it is clear that they do not reflect any consistent opposition to the proposals. Examples of comments include recommendations on the process for deciding on the SDGs, the importance of the linkage with MDGs, a need for an overriding focus on poverty reduction and on the selection of thematic areas. 15. From these proposals, the key benefits of agreeing to adopt a set of SDGs are:

Catalyze implementation of universal and integrated sustainable development priorities by the international community;

4 http://www.un.org/gsp/report

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Framework to enable international community and national government to focus coherently on specific targets for sustainable development;

Support to national governments to define new development pathways and ways to measure progress;

Mechanisms to carry forward the Green Economy agenda at the national level;

Positioning of three pillars of sustainable development in development agenda; and

Complement MDG achievements and address gaps.

III. The Key Principles of SDGs

16. While there is currently no formal agreement on SDGs—either their scope or the process for deciding on them and how they should be implemented—it is possible to summarise a set of guiding principles that appear to be widely accepted.

SDGs should be a bold response to the integration of the three pillars of sustainable development.

SDGs should apply universally but allow for tailoring to individual countries’ needs and circumstances.

SDGs should be based on the existing commitments in Agenda 21 and the JPOI.

SDGs should build progressively on a range of existing agreements addressing sustainable development.

SDGs should be aligned with the success of and lessons learned from MDGs and the process of deciding on a post 2015 development framework.

SDGs should be focused on a manageable number of global challenges that are easy to understand and communicate – perhaps a set of core SDGs augmented by thematic SDG clusters.

SDGs should be time-bound and measurable with an agreed architecture of targets and indicators.

SDGs should be developed through the full participation of stakeholders as well as expert inputs.

IV. Key Questions and Challenges

17. As Rio+20 approaches, there are clearly a number of key questions and challenges still to be tackled in the effort to arrive at an agreement to adopt SDGs. 18. What can be agreed at Rio+20? Currently, it is unlikely that Rio+20 will produce a clear agreement on adopting a set of SDGs and a process of implementing them. So, the supporters of SDGs are hoping that the conference will produce an agreement on a vision for SDGs, a set of guiding principles and a process for decision-making. 19. What process should be adopted for their development? One of the major topics of discussion during the Rio+20 preparations has been what process should be used to decide on and develop the SDGs. There is a need to have a balance between a process that is designed around “expert” inputs submitted to governments for their approval and one that is transparent, open and participatory. Getting agreement on this process will undoubtedly require considerable further negotiation.

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20. How to align with the MDG review and post-2015 process? There is wide agreement in principle that SDGs should not divert effort from the achievement of the MDGs, that their development should benefit from the lessons learned from the MDG process and that a future SDG process should converge with the process already established to review the MDGs and develop the post-2015 development framework. However, this is likely to be a challenging area and may well raise issues that are beyond the remit of Rio+20 in some respects. The UN Secretary-General has called for SDGs that “pick up where the MDGs leave off.” There is general support for a “single track” approach that envisions SDGs converging fully with the post-2015 development framework process, although the outcome is not yet certain. However, the Rio+20 vision for the scope and content of SDGs may have implications for these future discussions that may require careful consideration, especially if the scope is predominately responding to “planetary” issues. 21. How to arrive at the optimum number of thematic areas and agree a feasible architecture? Most parties are agreed that the number of themes covered by SDGs should not be too large and various proposals have ranged between about 10 and 20. However, the rationale for their selection has varied from picking up the key commitments of Agenda 21 and JPOI, to addressing the gaps in the MDGs, to tackling the key challenges in addressing sustainable development and to maximising human-wellbeing. During the pre Rio+20 discussions, most suggestions have been to add to the number, and indeed complexity, of the set of themes to be covered, with some clearly focused on global environmental issues and others on poverty reduction and a true integration of the three pillars of sustainable development. 22. What institutional and governance framework can be used for their implementation? Another issue to be tackled is that of how SDGs would be implemented both in terms of how they would be governed and monitored at the international level and how national governments would determine their specific implementation targets, given a differentiated approach at the national level, and integrate these into national development planning processes and budget frameworks. The international element is linked to the Rio+20 discussions on the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development. The national element may be considered in comparison to lessons learned in recent years about mainstreaming environment into national development planning and the challenges of implementing green economy strategies nationally.

  

V. Linking SDGs and the MDG Process

23. In late 2010, a High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly met to review progress on the MDG targets and agreed an action plan for the period leading up to 2015 with a view to developing a post-2015 development framework. This process envisioned accelerated implementation of the MDGs, a review of the performance of the MDG process and a road-map for developing a post-2015 framework. 24. The UN Secretary-General subsequently established a UN System Task Team led by UNDP and UN DESA to advance work on a post-2015 development agenda. This work should be grounded in a critical evaluation of how the MDGs have worked as a framework, identifying what has worked well and areas for improvement, especially in response to current development challenges. This Task Team is supporting the broader consultation

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process by providing analytical inputs, expertise and outreach. It is evaluating the experience with the MDG framework, in terms of both contents and processes; reviewing recent development trends; and drawing out the implications for the formulation of a post-2015 UN development agenda. This team is expected to produce a report in advance of the Rio+20 conference and will provide a key input to the Rio+20 understanding of the post-2015 process. 25. The UN Secretary-General’s Five-Year Action Agenda, published in early 2012, included the action “define a new generation of sustainable development goals building on the MDGs and outline a road-map for consideration by member states”. 26. During 2011, a group of key development experts initiated by The Centre for International Governance innovation (CIGI) and The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) met at a conference in Bellagio, Italy, to develop independently a proposal for a revised set of development goals and targets to be considered for the post-2015 period. This process, called “Towards a Post-2015 Paradigm,” proposed architecture for 12 future goals (See Box 1) in the Bellagio meeting and has continued in 2012 with a meeting of experts hosted by OECD in Paris. The principles underlying the proposed goals include placing poverty at the centre of the process and the avoidance of the one-size-fits all dilemma by setting global minimums allowing for individual national targets that reflect the country context. The aim should be to empower countries to define, measure and achieve their own development targets.

Box 1: “Bellagio” Goals The 12 proposed goals are clustered into three sets, relating to: 1. Essential endowments necessary for individuals to achieve their fuller potential; Goal 1: Adequate livelihoods and income levels for dignified human existence. Goal 2: Sufficient food and water for active living. Goal 3: Appropriate education and skills for productive participation in society. Goal 4: Good health for the best possible physical and mental well-being.

2. Protection and promotion of collective human capital; Goal 5: Security for ensuring freedom from violence. Goal 6: Gender equality for enabling males and females to participate and benefit equally in society. Goal 7: Resilient communities and nations for reduced disaster impact from natural and technological

hazards. Goal 8: Connectivity for access to essential information, services and opportunities.

3. Effective provision of global public goods. Goal 9: Empowerment of people to realize their civil and political rights. Goal 10: Sustainable management of the biosphere for enabling people and the planet to thrive together. Goal 11: Establishing rules for managing the world economy for the fairly shared benefit of all nations. Goal 12: Good global governance for transparent and accountable international institutions and

partnerships.

27. The Secretary-General has more recently announced that he will appoint a High Level Panel after Rio+20 to advise on the post-2015 agenda (to be co-chaired by the United Kingdom PM, and Presidents of Liberia and Indonesia). This Panel is expected to report in time of the 2013 UN General Assembly “MDG Special Event” which is widely

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expected to be the key opportunity to complete the continuing UN work to review the implementation of the MDGs. 28. From the above, it is clear that there is a significant degree of convergence between Rio+20 and the process of developing a post-2015 agenda. It is also widely accepted that the SDG proposal would be a major element in this convergence, and that progress on mapping out how to proceed further is expected to be a key outcome of Rio+20. 29. Of course, some key questions need to be resolved relating both to process and substance. These include:

Is there agreement that the development of SDGs should be fully converged with the post-2015 development framework—the “single-track” solution?

What are the key lessons from the MDG experience (methodology, content and implementation mechanisms) to take forward in developing SDGs?

Should SDGs address the perceived gaps in the current MDG scope or seek to encompass the full development agenda?

How will the proposed universal application of SDGs affect the convergence with the post-2015 process?

What are the specific scenarios for action post Rio+20 to take the SDG development forward in the context of the post-2015 process?

VI. Thematic Areas and Architecture

30. There has, of course, been a strong focus on the thematic areas that the SDGs should cover. The Colombia, Guatemala, Peru proposal (updated in Nov 2011) suggests:

Food security Energy access Oceans, including fisheries Sustainable human settlements Water

31. The UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability suggested the following areas “not fully covered in the “Millennium Development Goals”:

Food security Energy Green jobs, decent work and social inclusion Sustainable consumption and production Sustainable cities Climate change Biodiversity Oceans

32. A group of CSOs had proposed a set of 17 goals in 2011, predominately focused on environmental sustainability, and during the Rio+20 “informal informal” discussions there have been numerous and diverse additional suggestions. 33. One of the background papers for the January 2012 Tarrytown retreat mentioned above (Discussion Note 2 in Annex B) addressed the issue of how to determine the

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thematic areas that the SDGs should address, encompassing the three pillars of sustainable development. Three alternative perspectives were put forward:

Challenges in the implementation of Agenda 21 and related international commitments. In addition to Agenda 21 and the JPOI, there are a number of international agreements and commitments on sustainable development, within which there is a diverse collection of goals, often open-ended, and in some cases targets. SDGs could be seen as a tool to accelerate implementation through consolidation of a set of time-bound targets

Challenges in achieving sustainable development conditions. SDGs could be developed in order to focus attention on critical trends or conditions that are putting sustainable development at risk—such as climate change, ecosystem degradation, food shortages, water scarcity, energy access and so on. SDGs can bring about a rationalisation of the goals and the specific targets by which to prioritise and monitor implementation.

Challenges limiting the attainment of human well-being. SDGs could be developed to address the key issues that undermine the attainment of human well-being—taking account of the contribution of economic, social and environmental elements of sustainability. Such an approach would focus on themes not typically included in sustainable development definitions, such as unemployment, inequality, political freedoms, but which are vital to the achievement of the human well-being that may be the key pillar of the UN development framework post-2015.

34. It is worth noting that, according to the Tarrytown discussion note, the issues emphasised most frequently in submissions for the revision if the Rio+20 Zero-Draft Outcome document were:

Energy Food and agriculture Water Oceans Ecosystems Sustainable consumption and production Climate change Urbanisation

35. In terms of the architecture of the SDGs, the Tarrytown Discussion Note 3 (see Annex B) sets out one possible way forward. It envisions that a small number of over-arching thematic areas or domains are selected, such as energy or food. For each of these, more specific goals across the three sustainable development dimensions (economic, social and environmental) can be identified. For each of these goals, targets and respective indicators can be developed.

Table 1: Possible Framework for SDGs Domain: Energy Goals (examples of

themes) Targets (tbd) Indicators (tbd)

Environmental Biological Diversity Pollution Ecosystem services

Economic Production Trade

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Consumption

Social Equity Inclusivity Security

36. A key factor in determining the scope and architecture of a suite of SDGs should be the design of a measurement framework, with well defines targets and indicators, that is effective and end feasible. There are a number of lessons from the MDG experience that can usefully be taken into account in addressing issues related to measurement, such as:

How are global goals and targets adopted at the national level while ensuring consistency in measurement and data collection?

How to include non-numerical targets in a measurement framework effectively?

How to ensure selection of indicators that are measurable and realistic operationally?

How to take account of national capacities for date collection, measurement and statistical analysis?

How the international framework can guide and support the measurement framework at the national level?

How to address measurement issues to address inequalities between socio-economic and/or ethnic/vulnerable populations?

37. The process of selection of indicators must recognize the important role of the global and national statistical community to ensure that adequate discussions take place to pick the best options among the candidate indicators in terms of data availability, conceptual issues, and measurement problems at the national level. The process of indicators selection should follow a transparent approach to ensure their national relevance and not to place undue burden on statistical systems of statistical systems of developing countries. 38. There has been, of course, a range of initiatives at the international and national level to address the perceived shortcomings of focusing on GDP as the dominant measure of development. Some are focused on a broader approach to human well-being, such as the UN Human Development index, which is composite index including indicators of health, knowledge and income. Others are specifically focused on sustainable development such as the CSD set of sustainable development indicators developed in 1995 and modified in 2005. More recently there has been a focus on Green Accounting and introducing different approaches to measuring national wealth, especially by introducing measures of natural capital—notably the World Bank Initiative “Global Partnership for Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services Valuation and Wealth Accounting.” At the national level in the Asia-Pacific region including the Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index, China’s – Circular Economy Initiative, South Korea’s Green Growth Initiative and others. (See Annex C for more details). 39. It is also worth noting the work of the Joint UNECE/Eurostat/OECD Working Group on Statistics for Sustainable Development that was established in 2005 to identify good concepts and practices to assist national governments and international organizations in the design of sustainable development indicator sets. The mandate of the group was to develop a broad conceptual framework for measuring sustainable development with the

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concept of capital at its centre, and to identify a small set of indicators that might become the core set for international comparisons.

 VII. Implementation at the National Level

40. One of the key principles for the adoption and development of SDGs is that they should be universal but allow for differentiated application at the national level—depending on national conditions. They should not be designed as “one size fits all.” 41. The detailed development of an SDG system will need to tackle the processes and mechanisms whereby they can be implemented at the national level in a manner that complies with whatever international requirements, including at the regional level, are adopted as well as meets the specific needs and capacities at the country level. 42. In advancing this, there are lessons to be learned from the MDG process—both in terms of what the SDGs should do differently but also success factors for how the MDG goals and targets were introduced into national development planning, into budget frameworks and into monitoring and evaluation systems. There is a comparable body of knowledge on the international effort to support the adoption by the least developed countries of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) at the national level. A major element of PRSPs has been the setting of goals, targets and indicators to guide and strengthen the development of implementation strategies and budget frameworks for national plans. 43. Over the past 20 years (and more), there has been a succession of initiatives aimed at strengthening the implementation of sustainable development at the national level—from National Conservation Strategies to National Environmental Action Plans to National Sustainable Development Strategies. More recently, there has been sustained efforts to mainstream poverty-environment linkages into national development plans and currently a focus on implementing the Green Economy agenda at the national level. 44. It is fair to say that all these initiatives have fallen short of what was expected of them and they all might have benefited from a stronger focus on strategic time-bound goals and targets, supported by an effective monitoring system. But it is hard to generalise and it is important to take account of what works best in terms of ensuring national ownership, working with a realistic view of national capacities as well as a robust approach to data collection and analysis. There are lessons to be learned from previous efforts to mainstream environment into national development planning and how to achieve the needed capacity development to do this on a sustained basis. 45. As emphasised above, there are lessons to be learned from the MDG and environmental mainstreaming experiences. In addition, it is likely that the SDGs will require a somewhat different approach—in particular to accommodate the universal global goals that are differentiated at the country level. The detailed design of the implementation arrangements both at the international and national level cannot start until there is agreement on taking the SDGs forward. It is clear, however, that there is work to be done to adopt an acceptable system.

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VIII. Conclusion

46. The UN Secretary-General has made a commitment that the post-2015 agenda will be sustainable development and has asked for sustainable development goals to build on the MDGs post-2015. The Rio+20 conference is a milestone event that has the opportunity to agree on a set of principles and steps in a process to deliver this and to ensure that SDGs are fully integrated into the work to establish a specific development framework for post 2015. Whatever is agreed at Rio+20 will feed in to the work of the High-Level Panel. The opportunity is there. Will the conference deliver what is needed? What can the Asia-Pacific region contribute?

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List of Annexes

Annex A Millennium Development Goals: Official List of MDG Indicators Annex B Retreat on “SDGs, Rio+20 and the Post-2015 Development

Agenda”, Tarrytown, NY, 22-24 January 2012

Discussion Note 1: Linkng SDGs, MDGs and the post-2015 Agenda

Discussion Note 2: Sustainable Development Challenges as Thematic Areas of Common Concern

Discussion Note 3: A Conceptual Architecture for Sustainable Development Goals

Annex C Rio 2012 Issues Brief No 6, Current Ideas on Sustainable

Development Goals and Indicators. Prepared by UNCSD Secretariat

Annex D CSO Proposal for SDGs. Declaration adopted at the sixty-fourth

Annual Conference of the Department of Public Information for Non-Governmental Organizations, Bonn, Germany, 3-5 September 2011

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ANNEX A

Official list of MDG indicators

All indicators should be disaggregated by sex and urban/rural as far as possible.

Effective 15 January 2008

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Goals and Targets (from the Millennium Declaration)

Indicators for monitoring progress

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Target 1.A: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day

1.1 Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day5 1.2 Poverty gap ratio 1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption

Target 1.B: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people

1.4 Growth rate of GDP per person employed 1.5 Employment-to-population ratio 1.6 Proportion of employed people living below $1 (PPP) per day 1.7 Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total

employment

Target 1.C: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

1.8 Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age 1.9 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy

consumption Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Target 2.A: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

2.1 Net enrolment ratio in primary education 2.2 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary 2.3 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds, women and men

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Target 3.A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

3.1 Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education 3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector 3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Target 4.A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

4.1 Under-five mortality rate 4.2 Infant mortality rate 4.3 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunised against measles

Goal 5: Improve maternal health Target 5.A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio

5.1 Maternal mortality ratio 5.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target 5.B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

5.3 Contraceptive prevalence rate 5.4 Adolescent birth rate 5.5 Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit and at least four visits) 5.6 Unmet need for family planning

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

5 For monitoring country poverty trends, indicators based on national poverty lines should be used, where available.

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Target 6.A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

6.1 HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 years 6.2 Condom use at last high-risk sex 6.3 Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct

knowledge of HIV/AIDS 6.4 Ratio of school attendance of orphans to school attendance of non-

orphans aged 10-14 years Target 6.B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

6.5 Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access to antiretroviral drugs

Target 6.C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

6.6 Incidence and death rates associated with malaria 6.7 Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated

bednets 6.8 Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with

appropriate anti-malarial drugs 6.9 Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis 6.10 Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly

observed treatment short course Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Target 7.A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources Target 7.B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss

7.1 Proportion of land area covered by forest 7.2 CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP) 7.3 Consumption of ozone-depleting substances 7.4 Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits 7.5 Proportion of total water resources used 7.6 Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected 7.7 Proportion of species threatened with extinction

Target 7.C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

7.8 Proportion of population using an improved drinking water source 7.9 Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility

Target 7.D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers

7.10 Proportion of urban population living in slums

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development Target 8.A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system Includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction – both nationally and internationally Target 8.B: Address the special needs of the least developed countries Includes: tariff and quota free access for the least developed countries' exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA for countries committed to poverty reduction Target 8.C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States (through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly) Target 8.D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term

Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the least developed countries (LDCs), Africa, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.

Official development assistance (ODA) 8.1 Net ODA, total and to the least developed countries, as percentage of

OECD/DAC donors’ gross national income 8.2 Proportion of total bilateral, sector-allocable ODA of OECD/DAC donors

to basic social services (basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation)

8.3 Proportion of bilateral official development assistance of OECD/DAC donors that is untied

8.4 ODA received in landlocked developing countries as a proportion of their gross national incomes

8.5 ODA received in small island developing States as a proportion of their gross national incomes

Market access 8.6 Proportion of total developed country imports (by value and excluding

arms) from developing countries and least developed countries, admitted free of duty

8.7 Average tariffs imposed by developed countries on agricultural products and textiles and clothing from developing countries

8.8 Agricultural support estimate for OECD countries as a percentage of their gross domestic product

8.9 Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity

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Debt sustainability 8.10 Total number of countries that have reached their HIPC decision points

and number that have reached their HIPC completion points (cumulative)

8.11 Debt relief committed under HIPC and MDRI Initiatives 8.12 Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services

Target 8.E: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries

8.13 Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a sustainable basis

Target 8.F: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

8.14 Fixed telephone lines per 100 inhabitants 8.15 Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 8.16 Internet users per 100 inhabitants

The Millennium Development Goals and targets come from the Millennium Declaration, signed by 189 countries, including 147 heads of State and Government, in September 2000 (http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm) and from further agreement by member states at the 2005 World Summit (Resolution adopted by the General Assembly - A/RES/60/1, http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/RES/60/1). The goals and targets are interrelated and should be seen as a whole. They represent a partnership between the developed countries and the developing countries “to create an environment – at the national and global levels alike – which is conducive to development and the elimination of poverty”.

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Retreat on “SDGs, Rio+20 and the Post‐2015 Development Agenda” Tarrytown House Conference Center  Tarrytown, NY  22‐24 January 2012 

 Discussion Note 11 

 

Linking SDGs, MDGs and the post‐2015 Development Agenda 

 “Let us develop a new generation of sustainable development goals to pick up where the MDGs leave off.  Let us agree on the means to achieve them.”2 

– UN Secretary‐General Ban Ki‐moon  

“This is not a Conference only on Environment, but on Sustainable Development.” – Presentation on Rio+20 by Ambassador Andre Lago, Brazil 

 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been proposed as a potential outcome of Rio+20, and are garnering  growing  support  as  a practical means  for  implementing  a Rio+20  sustainable development agenda.3 For more than a decade, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been the dominant development paradigm and organizing framework for development cooperation, but are set to expire in 2015. With  the  process  for  defining  a  post‐2015  development  agenda  getting  underway,  a  Rio+20 outcome  on  SDGs  could  play  a  timely  and  catalytic  role  in  framing  and  advancing  the  post‐2015 dialogue.  SDGs and MDGs A key concern surrounding the proposal for SDGs is the relationship to the current MDGs. In September 2010, a High  Level Plenary Meeting of  the General Assembly agreed on an action plan  to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs by 2015. Informal consultations on the SDG proposal put forward by the governments of Colombia, Guatemala and Peru have strongly affirmed the guiding principle that the  formulation  of  SDGs  should  not  divert  or  in  any way  undermine  the  focus  of  the  international community on achieving  the MDGs by 2015.4 Further, assessments of  the strengths and  limitations of the MDG framework and  implementation experience provide important lessons on how SDGs can spur renewed  commitment  to  sustainable  development  at  the  national  level,  help  shape  priorities  for development investment and aid, and galvanize international cooperation and coordinated action.5  SDGs and the post‐2015 Development Agenda The SDG proposal and  informal consultations to date, the report of the UN Secretary‐General’s Global Sustainability Panel and other Rio+20  inputs consistently point to the  importance of ensuring that the development  of  SDGs  is  integrally  linked  to  and  helps  frame  the  post‐2015  development  agenda process—and avoids a Rio+20 outcome that would establish a second parallel process.6  The UN General Assembly has mandated work on a post‐2015 development agenda and  initial efforts are getting underway that provide an entry point for linking SDGs, Rio+20 and the post‐2015 process: 

The UN Secretary‐General has established a UN Task Team, co‐chaired by UNDP and UNDESA,  to advance work on the definition of a post‐2015 UN Development Agenda. One of the first activities of the  task  team  is  to propose a  roadmap  for  the post‐2015 agenda process  that  is expected  to be delivered to the Secretary‐General by Rio+20. 

  2

Following Rio+20, the Secretary‐General has announced plans to convene a high level/expert panel to advise and help guide work on the post‐2015 agenda. The panel is expected to present its report and  recommendations  to  the  Secretary‐General  by mid‐2013, which  in  turn will  inform  the  UN General Assembly ‘MDG Special Event’ to be held in the fall of 2013. 

To support  the work of  the UN Task Team and  to help  facilitate country‐level engagement  in  the post‐2015 agenda process, a project has been  initiated through the UN Development Group MDG Task Force on “Building  the Post‐2015 Development Agenda” with  five core outputs  identified:  (i) supporting national and local consultation processes; (ii) convening global and regional meetings on the post‐2015 development agenda;  (iii) engaging  in discussions and dialogues with partners;  (iv) producing  discussion  and  position  papers  on  the  post‐2015  development  agenda;  and  (v)  taking advantage of the opportunities provided by global social networks and mobile technologies.   

 The Catalytic Role of Rio+20 A Rio+20 outcome on SDGs could play a catalytic role in framing and advancing work on the post‐2015 development  agenda.  This  could  be  in  the  form  of  a  Rio  Mandate  on  SDGs  and  the  Post‐2015 Development Agenda. A  possible  scenario  for  achieving  convergence  between  a  Rio+20  outcome  on SDGs and the post‐2015 agenda process could be the following (as illustrated in Figure 1): 

Pre‐Rio+20: As part of the Rio+20 preparatory process, create space for continued informal dialogue aimed at forging agreement on the form and content of a Rio+20 outcome on SDGs in the context of the post‐2015 agenda process.  

At Rio+20: Ensure that SDGs are a core component of the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We Want,  in  the  form of a Rio Mandate on SDGs and  the Post‐2015 Development Agenda. The main elements of the Rio Mandate could include: (i) a longer‐term vision on the role of SDGs in achieving sustainable  development  and  poverty  eradication;  (ii)  guiding  principles  for  the  formulation  of sustainable  development  goals,  targets  and  indicators;  and  (iii)  a  post‐Rio+20  roadmap  for  the further development of SDGs in the context of the post‐2015 development agenda process.  

Post‐Rio+20: Establish and  launch an  inclusive and evidence‐based process  to  implement  the Rio Mandate on SDGs, with the aim of presenting a post‐2015 framework of sustainable development goals, targets and indicators to the UNGA MDG Review Summit in the fall of 2013. 

   

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Figure  1.  SDGs,  Rio+20  and  the  Post‐2015  Development  Agenda:  A  Possible  Scenario    

2012  2013 2014 2015

   

                     

RIO+20: SDG MANDATE 

[GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND POST‐2015 ROADMAP] 

UNGA: MDG REVIEW SUMMIT POST‐2015 AGENDA 

UNGA: MDG FINAL REVIEW 

LAUNCH OF NEW GLOBAL SD FRAMEWORK 

S-G PANEL ON POST-2015 AGENDA

UNDG PROJECT “BUILDING THE POST-2015 AGENDA”

UN TASK TEAM ON POST-2015 AGENDA

Outcome of the MDG Review Summit and way forward to 2015: 

Renewed efforts to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs by 2015 

Agreement on: (1) an integrated set of poverty eradication and sustainable development goals, targets and indicators; (2) means of implementation; and (3) global and country‐level monitoring, including new metrics, to measure and assess progress and ensure transparency and accountability 

Formulation of country‐specific goals and integration in planning, budgeting and indicator frameworks 

Targeted financial and technical assistance to strengthen developing country planning, implementation and monitoring capacity 

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Endnotes                                                             1 Revised 24 February 2012. This discussion note was prepared by Peter Hazlewood at World Resources Institute. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those held by WRI. 2 The Secretary‐General’s Report to the General Assembly – “We the Peoples.” Speech as delivered, New York, 21 September 2011.  3 SDGs in the context of Rio+20 were initially proposed by the Governments of Colombia, Guatemala and Peru – see Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Republica de Colombia. 2011. Rio+20: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An Updated Proposal from the Governments of Colombia, Guatemala and Peru. SDGs also are proposed in the Declaration of the 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference on “Sustainable Societies, Responsive Citizens,” 2011.  A number of Member States and other stakeholders have supported the development of SDGs in their submissions for the Rio+20 compilation text, available at http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=115. SDGs are proposed in the ‘Zero Draft’ of the Rio+20 Outcome Document (paras. 105‐110) – see United Nations. 2012. “The Future We Want.” 4 “Insights from the Informal Consultations on the SDG Proposal,” Bogota, Colombia, 4‐5 November 2011. 5 For example: United Nations Development Programme. 2010. What Will It Take to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals? – An International Assessment. 6 United Nations General Assembly. 2011. Accelerating Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals: options for sustained and inclusive growth and issues for advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015.  Annual report of the Secretary‐General A/66/126. 

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Retreat  on  “SDGs,  Rio+20  and  the  Post-­‐2015  Development  Agenda”  Tarrytown  House  Conference  Center    Tarrytown,  NY  22-­‐24  January  2012  

 Discussion  Note  2:1  

 Sustainable  Development  Challenges  as  Thematic  Areas  of  Common  Concern    

 In  the  run  up  to  Rio+20  there  has  been  growing  interest  in  the  eventual  establishment  of  a  set  of  quantitative,  time-­‐bound,  and  verifiable  Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)  that  can  spur  policy  innovation  at  the  national  level,  form  the  basis  of  international  cooperation,  and  shape  priorities  for  development  aid,  investment,  and  assistance  in  the  post-­‐2015  era.  However,  there  has  yet  to  be  a  significant  international  discussion  on  what  thematic  priorities  –  or  sustainable  development  challenges  –  a  set  of  SDGs  might  address.  This  discussion  note  provides  information  about  sustainable  development  challenges  and  implications  for  thematic  areas  of  common  concern  around  which  SDGs  may  be  formulated.    Sustainable  Development  Challenges  –  Three  perspectives  and  implications  for  SDGs  To  be  most  effective,  SDGs  should  provide  a  tool  for  overcoming  challenges  to  the  realization  of  a  sustainable  society  that  embodies  “care  and  respect  for  people,  planet  and  prosperity.”2  Challenges  within  these  three  domains  of  sustainable  development  –  social,  environmental,  and  economic  –  can  be  identified  in  a  number  of  ways  with  different  implications  for  SDGs.  Three  useful  perspectives  include:      Challenges  in  the  implementation  of  Agenda  21  and  related  commitments  In  the  context  of  Agenda  21,  the  Johannesburg  Plan  of  Implementation  (JPOI),  the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  (CBD),  the  Doha  Ministerial  Declaration,  and  many  other  major  conventions  and  agreements  on  all  aspects  of  sustainable  development,  the  international  community  has  committed  to  programs  of  work,  targets  for  aid  and  technology  transfer,  and  other  means  of  implementation.  One  way  to  describe  sustainable  development  challenges  is  in  terms  of  gaps  in  implementing  key  provisions  of  these  agreements.  For  example,  as  part  of  the  JPOI,  countries  committed  to  creating  “open,  equitable,  rules-­‐based,  predictable  and  non-­‐discriminatory  multilateral  trading  and  financial  systems  that  benefit  all  countries  in  the  pursuit  of  sustainable  development”  and  to  completing  the  program  of  work  contained  in  the  Doha  Ministerial  Declaration  to  advance  this  goal.3  Progress  has  lagged.4  From  this  perspective,  SDGs  can  be  seen  as  a  tool  for  accelerating  implementation  of  open-­‐ended  agreements  through  use  of  time-­‐bound  quantitative  targets.      Challenges  in  achieving  sustainable  development  conditions  Another  perspective  on  sustainable  development  challenges  is  to  focus  on  worrisome  trends  and  conditions  that  are  holding  back  progress  in  achieving  sustainable  development  around  the  world,  such  as  increased  vulnerability  to  climate  change,  food  shortages,  water  scarcity,  energy  poverty,  unmanaged  and  unsustainable  urban  expansion,  ecosystem  degradation,  and  loss  of  biological  diversity.  SDGs  can  help  fill  in  the  holes  where  global  goals,  targets,  and  indicators  for  these  critical  issues  are  lacking.    Where  goals  and  targets  exist,  but  are  not  being  met,  SDGs  could  help  by  addressing  underlying  factors  that  contribute  to  non-­‐attainment.  For  example,  SDGs  may  be  useful  in  establishing  targets  and  indicators  that  address  cross-­‐cutting  factors  preventing  achievement  of  CBD  objectives  such  as  “limited  capacity  in  financial,  human  and  technical  issues,  the  absence  of  scientific  information,  limited  biodiversity  mainstreaming  or  the  absence  of  economic  valuation  of  biodiversity”.5      

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Challenges  limiting  attainment  of  human  well-­‐being  As  noted  by  the  U.N.’s  Environment  Management  Group,  “[t]he  protection  and  enhancement  of  human  well-­‐being  is  a  common  denominator  for  the  UN  system  and  the  ultimate  goal  of  sustainability  practices.”6  Over  the  past  ten  years  or  so,  a  new  perspective  on  sustainable  development  has  emerged  that  emphasizes  the  relationship  between  subjective  well-­‐being  as  reported  in  systematic  surveys  such  as  the  World  Values  Survey,  and  the  four  forms  of  capital  (human,  social,  built,  and  natural)  essential  to  a  sustainable  society.7  Given  the  increasing  popularity  and  relevance  of  this  field,  an  inventory  of  major  sustainable  development  challenges  could  be  enhanced  by  examining  factors  found  to  limit  subjective  well-­‐being  as  reported  in  this  field  of  research.  For  example,  such  research  has  consistently  found  a  strong  negative  correlation  between  self-­‐reported  well-­‐being  and  both  inflation  and  unemployment.  According  to  a  recent  UNDP  report,  “[i]nflation―apart  from  corroding  purchasing  power―creates  feelings  of  reduced  morale  and  national  prestige  and  exploitation.  Unemployment,  aside  from  the  pecuniary  loss,  is  associated  with  costs  such  as  loss  of  self  esteem,  depression,  anxiety,  and  social  stigma.”8  What  this  implies  is  that  SDGs  could  be  designed  to  address  factors  not  typically  part  of  the  sustainable  development  discourse  but  nonetheless  vital  to  sustainable  well-­‐being.      Sustainable  Development  Challenges  –  Evidence  from  Rio  preparations,  MDGS,  and  the  literature  A  systematic  survey  of  sustainable  development  challenges  from  each  of  these  perspectives  is  a  formidable  challenge  in  and  of  itself.  In  preparation  for  Rio+20,  UNDESA  is  working  with  the  NGO  Stakeholder  Forum  to  prepare  a  comprehensive  analysis  of  gaps  in  the  implementation  of  Rio  Principles  and  Agenda  21.9  An  inventory  of  challenges  from  the  perspective  of  worrisome  conditions  and  trends  and  factors  limiting  well-­‐being  is,  by  necessity,  less  objective  and  systematic  due  to  wide  variations  in  how  these  conditions,  trends,  and  factors  are  classified,  described,  and  measured.  Nonetheless,  there  are  many  sources  that  provide  useful  information  to  help  inform  the  SDG  development  process.    Findings  from  four  of  these  sources  are  reported  in  Table  1  below,  including:    

• Column  one  lists  sustainable  development  gaps  and  challenges  most  often  cited  in  a  WRI  analysis  of  submissions  to  the  Rio+20  negotiating  document  and  regional  preparatory  reports.  The  submissions  reviewed  include  submissions  from  four  major  political  groups,  six  NGOs,  IGOs,  and  U.N.  agencies,  five  major  groups,  as  well  as  summaries  of  five  regional  preparatory  meetings.10  The  challenges  and  gaps  included  in  column  one  appear  in  descending  order  of  frequency.  So,  for  example,  development  assistance  was  cited  as  an  important  gap  in  13  of  the  20  documents.  Vulnerability  to  food  and  energy  shortages,  economic  crises,  epidemics,  and  natural  disasters  was  cited  in  11  of  20,  as  were  greenhouse  gas  (GHG)  emissions.    

• Column  two  lists  “priority  sectors  and  cross-­‐cutting  issues”  identified  in  the  August  2011  Report  of  the  Secretary  General  on  implementation  of  Agenda  21.11    

• Column  three  is  based  on  data  from  the  latest  Millennium  Development  Goal  (MDG)  report.12  It  identifies  MDG  goals  or  targets  that  are  not  likely  to  be  met  by  2015  in  a  majority  of  regions  as  well  as  indicators  that  have  shown  worsening  trends  since  1990.  

• Column  four  is  based  on  two  literature  reviews  of  well-­‐being  research.13  It  lists  the  most  consistent  variables  that  relate  to  self-­‐reported  well-­‐being  in  a  statistically  significant  manner  in  various  models  in  multiple  regions  and  years.  

 Figure  1  provides  additional  perspectives.  This  analysis  reviewed  129  compilation  document  submissions  to  identify  thematic  areas  that  member  states  and  other  stakeholders  support  for  the  formulation  of  Rio+20  outcomes.  While  these  thematic  areas  are  not  necessarily  related  to  challenges  or  gaps,  they  are  nonetheless  suggestive  of  underlying  issues  of  concern  and  so  are  useful  to  consider.  Food  and  agriculture  and  energy  top  the  list  having  been  identified  as  priority  thematic  areas  in  44  of  the  

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submissions  reviewed,  followed  by  water  (42),  blue  economy  (28),  sustainable  production  and  consumption  (28),  ecosystems  (27),  climate  change  (24)  and  urbanization  (22).    

Table  1:  Sustainable  Development  Challenges    

Sustainable  Development  Gaps  and  Challenges      

Factors  Limiting    Subjective  Well-­‐Being  

From  compilation  document  submissions:  

From  Secretary  General’s  report:  

From  MDG  indicator  trends:  

From  well-­‐being  surveys  and  research:  

 Development  assistance  Vulnerability  GHG  emissions  Biodiversity  loss  Energy  access  Food  security  Unsustainable  agriculture  Over-­‐consumption  Progress  indicators  Freshwater  scarcity  Enforcement          

 Energy  access  GHG  emissions  Clean  water  access  Water  supply  Food  security  Unsustainable  agriculture  Urbanization  Slums  Biodiversity  loss  Deforestation  Harmful  fishing  practices          

 Poverty  Productive  employment  Primary  education  Women’s  employment  Women  in  government  Child  mortality  Maternal  mortality  Reproductive  health  HIV/  AIDS  Tuberculosis  Deforestation  GHG  emissions  Fish  stocks  Extinction  Sanitation  

 GNI  per  capita  Social  capital  Natural  capital  Poor  health  Inequality  Inflation  Unemployment  Political  corruption  Poor  air  quality  Consumerism  Basic  freedoms      

 Figure  1:  Desired  Thematic  Areas  for  Rio+20  Outcomes  

       

12  42  

16  22  

9  28  

12  44  44  

14  27  

24  28  

16  

0   5   10   15   20   25   30   35   40   45   50  

Women  and  youth  Water  Waste    

Urbanizajon  Transportajon  

Sustainable  producjon  and  consumpjon  Security  

Food  and  agriculture  Energy  

Educajon  Ecosystems  

Climate  change  Blue  economy  Biodiversity  

Number  of  submissions  supporjve  of  the  theme    (N=129)  

ThemaSc  Areas  Emphasized  in  CompilaSon  Document  Submissions  

  4  

Implications  for  SDGs  –  Thematic  areas  of  common  concern  As  the  foregoing  discussion  suggests,  a  comprehensive  set  of  SDGs  designed  to  address  sustainable  development  challenges  could  be  informed  by  three  perspectives  that  consider  implementation  of  international  agreements,  worrisome  conditions  and  trends,  and  factors  known  to  limit  subjective  well-­‐being.  SDGs  could  be  useful  in  accelerating  implementation,  establishing  goals,  targets,  and  indicators  for  issues  that  have  not  yet  been  considered  in  detail,  or  to  address  underlying  factors  that  thwart  attainment  of  goals  and  targets  already  established.      In  terms  of  content,  the  information  presented  in  Table  1  and  Figure  1  is  suggestive  of  thematic  areas  of  common  concern  –  food,  energy,  water,  GHG  emissions,  loss  of  biodiversity,  and  degradation  of  ecosystem  services,  for  example.  However,  what  these  data  also  show  is  that  these  thematic  areas  –  take  food  for  example  –  have  various  dimensions  such  as  sustainability  of  agriculture,  affordability,  equitable  access,  security  of  supply,  and  nutritional  health  so  in  designing  an  overall  architecture  for  SDGs,  it  may  be  useful  to  consider  higher  order  aggregations  that  ensure  each  important  dimension  is  considered.  For  example,  one  aggregation  may  be  inequality  –  an  aggregation  that  underlies  various  thematic  issue  areas  such  as  overconsumption,  women’s  rights,  inadequate  development  assistance,  slums,  and  access  to  health  care.  SDGs  would  not  necessarily  set  goals  for  these  higher  order  aggregations  –  those  have  already  been  fairly  well  fleshed  out;  rather,  such  aggregations  would  inform  development  of  SDGs  and  associated  targets  to  ensure  that  all  important  dimensions  are  addressed.  Discussion  note  3  will  explore  SDG  architecture  along  these  lines.    ENDNOTES                                                                                                                            1  This  discussion  note  was  prepared  by  John  Talberth  and  Erin  Gray  at  the  World  Resources  Institute.  The  views  and  opinions  expressed  are  not  necessarily  those  held  by  WRI.  2  This  basic  framework  for  the  three  pillars  of  sustainable  development  was  first  published  by  the  United  Nations  in  1987  and  was  used  as  the  slogan  for  the  World  Summit  for  Sustainable  Development  in  2002.  3  Johannesburg  Plan  of  Implementation  (JPOI)  of  the  2002  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development,  para.  47.  4  According  to  the  Secretary  General:  “Failure  to  reach  agreement  in  the  Doha  Development  Round  of  multilateral  trade  negotiations  represents  a  continuing  challenge  to  international  cooperation.”  From  Report  of  the  Secretary  General:  Progress  to  date  and  remaining  gaps  in  the  implementation  of  the  outcomes  of  the  major  summits  in  the  area  of  sustainable  development,  as  well  as  an  analysis  of  the  themes  of  the  Conference.  May  2010.  5  Secretariat  of  the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  (2010)  Global  Biodiversity  Outlook  3,  Montréal,  94  pages.  6  The  Environment  Management  Group  Secretariat,  UNEP.  2011.  A  Framework  for  Advancing  Environmental  and  Social  Sustainability  in  the  U.N.  System.  UNEP,  Environmental  Management  Group.  7  Engelbrecht,  Hans-­‐Jürgen.  2009.  Natural  Capital,  Subjective  Well-­‐Being,  and  the  New  Welfare  Economics  of  Sustainability.  Palmerston,  NZ:  Massey  University,  Department  of  Economics  and  Finance.  8  Conceicao,  Pedro  and  Romina  Bandura.  2008.    Measuring  Subjective  Well  Being:  A  Summary  Review  of  the  Literature.  New  York:  Office  of  Development  Studies,  UNDP.    9  UNDESA,  Division  for  Sustainable  Development.  2011.  Sustainable  Development  in  the  21st  century  (SD21)  Review  of  implementation  of  Agenda  21  and  the  Rio  Principles  -­‐  Detailed  review  of  implementation  of  the  Rio  Principles  December  2011  (DRAFT).  Study  prepared  by  the  Stakeholder  Forum  for  a  Sustainable  Future.  10  Political  groups:  CARICOM,  EU,  G77/China,  Pacific  SIDS.  NGOS,  IGOs,  UN:  World  Bank,  UNDP,  Stakeholder  Forum,  Pew  Environment,  Oxfam,  Green  Economy  Coalition.  Regional  meetings:  Africa,  Arab  Region,  Asia  Pacific,  Latin  America/  Caribbean,  Europe-­‐North  America.  Major  groups:  Business  and  Industry,  Farmers,  Indigenous  Peoples,  Workers/  Unions,  Women.  Submissions  available  at:  http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=115.  11  United  Nations.  2011.  Implementation  of  Agenda  21,  the  Programme  for  the  Further  Implementation  of  Agenda  21  and  the  outcomes  of  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  –    Report  of  the  Secretary-­‐General.  12  United  Nations.  2011.  Millennium  Development  Report,  2011.  Statistical  Annex.    13  Engelbrecht,  Hans-­‐Jürgen  (2009),  note  8;  Conceicao,  Pedro  and  Romina  Bandura  (2008),  note  9.  

1

Retreat on “SDGs, Rio+20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda” Tarrytown House Conference Center Tarrytown, NY 22-24 January 2012

Discussion Note 3:1

A Conceptual Architecture for Sustainable Development Goals To help ensure that sustainable development challenges are addressed in a balanced fashion, a discussion on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should begin with a basic architecture agreed upon by all major stakeholders. This discussion note offers an approach that includes three sustainability domains, aggregate aspects and goals, thematic areas, targets, and indicators. In Figures 1 and 2 below, the architecture is illustrated with respect to the thematic areas of energy and food. Sustainable development domains: Balanced attention to environmental, economic, and social domains remains a hallmark of sustainable development thinking.2

As such, these three domains provide a natural high level grouping for SDGs. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) however, can be viewed as imbalanced in this respect. Of the hard targets included in the MDGs, eleven fall into the social domain, two in the economic domain, and one in the environmental domain. One important motivation for SDGs is to restore a more balanced attention to all three domains.

Aggregate aspects and overarching goal statements: Each sustainability domain can be characterized by several core aspects that represent broad visions for a sustainable society. There has been considerable work done to articulate these aspects.3

However, there is no single classification system that is definitive. Figures 1 and 2 are illustrative. Such aspects are amenable to broad goal statements, as with the MDGs. Defining these aspects and associated goals could be an important addition to the SDG architecture for two primary reasons: (1) they help ensure that targets and indicators are well distributed amongst various aspects of complex issues; and (2) they suggest content for targets and indicators.

Thematic areas: Discussion note 2 provides an overview of thematic areas of common concern from three different perspectives on sustainable development challenges. Importantly, each of these themes – like food security – is multidimensional, and thus may warrant development of a number of different targets and indicators capable of addressing each dimension. So, for example, various dimensions relevant to energy may include access, security, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and energy poverty. Targets: Targets form the heart of the SDG discourse, but may take several years to achieve. To be most effective, targets should have three overriding characteristics: time-bound, quantitative, and verifiable. The power of quantitative, time-bound targets has long been recognized in driving policy innovation. An equally important characteristic is verifiability, assured in part through sound country reporting systems and by building country capacity for information monitoring systems. Indicators: Indicators form the final element of the SDG architecture as discussed here. Many targets, even if they are expressed in quantitative terms, are not directly measureable so proxies are often used. For example, MDG target 6C is to “have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other diseases.” Incidence, however, is measured in various ways and so indicators have been developed to further refine this target such as indicator 6.6: “number of new cases per 1,000.”4

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate this basic architecture with respect to the thematic areas of energy and food.

2

Figure 1: One Potential Approach to SDG Architecture – A Focus on Energy Unless referenced, entries are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Shaded cells are not included in the illustration, but may be relevant.

Domain Aggregate aspects and overarching goals

Examples of thematic area targets (Energy)

Examples of thematic area indicators (Energy)

Environmental

Biological diversity: Achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.5

Pollution: Reduce concentrations and levels of harmful pollutants to land, air, water, and biota to safe maximum thresholds.

x Reduce GHG emissions by 30% in 2020 and at least 80% in 2050.6

x CO2 emissions, total, per capita, and per $1 GDP (PPP). 7

Ecosystem services: Enhance the flow of goods and services important to human well-being from terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Economic

Production: Provide market and non-market goods and services in a clean, eco-efficient and sustainable manner.

x Increase clean energy generation to 11.4% of primary energy consumption by 2015.8

x Double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030.

9

x Final energy consumption share from traditional and modern biomass, hydroelectricity, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels.

10

Trade: Establish open, equitable, rules-based, predictable and nondiscriminatory multilateral trading and financial systems.

11

x By 2015, eliminate barriers to trade in climate-friendly goods and to services linked to addressing climate change.

12

x Rationalize and phase-out fossil fuel subsidies.

13

x Average tariff levels for environmental goods in ad valorem percentage terms.

14

x Budgetary support and tax expenditures for fossil fuel production and consumption $US billions/yr.

15

Consumption: Reduce the footprint of consumption to within the Earth’s carrying capacity while eradicating poverty in all its dimensions.

x All countries should provide a minimum per capita

residential electricity of 600 kWh by 2030, through cleaner technologies and technical/financial support from the international community.16

x Annual (primary or final) energy consumption per capita.

17

Social

Equity: Achieve an equitable distribution of wealth, income, and opportunity in all countries and regions.18

x Ensure universal access to modern energy services by 2030.

19x Average interruption frequency per year.

20

x Share of households without electricity or other modern energy forms.

21

Inclusivity: Ensure transparent, accountable, and participatory processes guide all major development decisions.

Security: Reduce human vulnerabilities to natural disasters, climate change, economic crises and disease.

3

Figure 2: One Potential Approach to SDG Architecture – A Focus on Food Unless referenced, entries are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Shaded cells are not included in the illustration, but may be relevant.

Domain Aggregate aspects and overarching goals

Examples of thematic area targets (Food)

Examples of thematic area indicators (Food)

Environmental

Biological diversity: Achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.22

x 70% of the genetic diversity of crops and other major socio-economically valuable plant species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained by 2030.23

x Number of pilot in situ sites established in areas of high diversity and risk.

24

x Number of crop species contributing to total agricultural output.

25

Pollution: Reduce concentrations and levels of harmful pollutants to land, air, water, and biota to safe maximum thresholds.

Ecosystem services: Enhance the flow of goods and services important to human well-being from terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

x Achieve zero net growth in land degradation and desertification by 2020.26

x Area of agricultural ecosystems under sustainable management. 27

Economic

Production: Provide market and non-market goods and services in a clean, eco-efficient and sustainable manner.

x Diversify the mix of crops and seafood produced and consumed locally.

x Number of varieties of crops in regular use.28

Trade: Establish open, equitable, rules-based, predictable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading and financial systems.

29

x Remove trade distorting subsidies that impede local food production by 2015.

30

Consumption: Reduce the footprint of consumption to within the Earth’s carrying capacity while eradicating poverty in all its dimensions.

x Achieve minimum caloric intake of 2,100 calories/day per person from well-balanced sources by 2020.31

x Minimize post-harvest losses and food-waste by 2030.

32

x Percent of food lost due to spoilage/mishandling.

33

x Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption.

34

Social

Equity: Achieve an equitable distribution of wealth, income, and opportunity in all countries and regions.35

x Halt land grabs and assure food sovereignty for women by 2030.

36

Inclusivity: Ensure transparent, accountable, and participatory processes guide all major development decisions.

Security: Reduce human vulnerabilities to natural disasters, climate change, economic crises and disease.

x Build capability to produce 30% of food locally by 2030.37

x Limit food price inflation to no more than 3% per year by 2015.

38

x Basic grain imports as percent of national consumption.

x Food price index.39

4

ENDNOTES 1 This discussion note was prepared by John Talberth and Erin Gray at the World Resources Institute. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those held by WRI. 2 Adams, W.M. 2006. The Future of Sustainability: Re-thinking Environment and Development in the Twenty First Century. Cambridge: IUCN – The World Conservation Union. 3 The literature is rich. On the complexities of articulating key aspects of social sustainability see, e.g. Littig, Beate and Erich Griebler. 2005. “Social sustainability: a catchword between political pragmatism and social theory.” International Journal of Sustainable Development 8(1/2): 65 – 79. 4 Millennium Development Goals, Target 6C, Indicator 6.6 5 Millennium Development Goals, Target 7B. 6 European Climate Foundation. 2011. Roadmap 2050: A Practical Guide to a Prosperous, Low Carbon Europe. The Hague: ECF. 7 Millennium Development Goals, Target 7A, indicator 7.2. 8 Werner, Emily. 2011. “China proposes new climate and energy targets in 12th five-year plan.” Repower America. Retrieved from: http://www.repoweramerica.org/blog/china-five-year-plan/. 9 Sustainable Energy for All. 2011. Retrieved from http://sustainableenergyforall.org. 10 REN21. 2011. Renewables 2011 Global Status Report. Paris: REN21 Secretariat. 11 Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), paragraph 47. 12 A submission to the WTO by the European Communities and the United States in December 2007 proposes to give priority in the WTO negotiations for environmental goods and services to climate-friendly goods and to services linked to addressing climate change. The target date suggested in the table is hypothetical. See: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e/climate_challenge_e.htm 13 White House Office of the Press Secretary. 2010. The G-20 Summit in Toronto: Acting on Our Global Energy and Climate Change Challenges. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/g-20-summit-toronto-acting-our-global-energy-and-climate-change-challenges. 14 Standard tariff indicator from OECD. 15 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2011. Inventory of Estimated Budgetary Support and Tax Expenditures for Fossil Fuels. Paris: OECD Publishing. Viewable at: www.oecd.org/g20/fossilfuelsubsidies. 16 Sao Paulo State, Submission to the Rio+20 compilation document. 2011. UNCSD. Retrieved from http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?page=view&type=510&nr=592&menu=20. 17 Bazilian, M., et al. 2010. Measuring energy access: supporting a global target. Columbia University: The Earth Institute, Colombia University. 18 These three aspects are commonly referred to in discussion of goals for global equity. See, e.g., International Monetary Fund. 1999. Should Equity Be a Goal of Economic Policy?. IMF Fiscal Affairs Department. Viewable at: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/issues/issues16/index.htm. 19 Sustainable Energy for All. 2011. Retrieved from http://sustainableenergyforall.org. 20 Bazilian, M., et al. 2010, note 13. 21 Ibid. 22 Millennium Development Goals, Target 7B. 23 CBD. 2009. Plant Conservation Report. A Review of Progress in Implementing the Global Strategy of Plant Conservation. Montreal: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. 24 Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. 2004. Indicators and reporting format for monitoring the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources. Rome: FAO. 25 Collette, L., 2001. Indicators of agricultural genetic resources: FAO’s contribution to monitoring agricultural biodiversity. Paper presented to the OECD Expert Meeting on Agri-Biodiversity Indicators. Nov, 2001. 26 Based on recommendations by (1) the Farmers Major Group and (2) Ambassador Kwon from the Republic of Korea. 2020 deadline is hypothetical. For more information please see: (1) Farmers Major Group. 2011. Agriculture and food security at Rio+20: What are the options when “business as usual” is not an option? Retrieved from http://www.millennium-institute.org/resources/elibrary/papers/Time%20To%20Act.pdf on January 17, 2012;

5

(2)UNCCD. 2010. UNCCD unveils its SLM Champion Programme and names the first champion. Retrieved from http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/pressrel/showpressrel.php?pr=press12_01_10 on January 17, 2012. 27 Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. 2011. International Targets and Indicators for biodiversity for food and agriculture. Thirteenth Regular Session. Rome, 18 – 22 July 2011. 28 Collette, L. (2001), note 24. 29 Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), paragraph 47. 30 The European Union has set limits on trade distorting farm subsidies. For more information , see: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/02/1247&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en. Retrieved on January 17, 2012. 31 Based on the minimum caloric intake calculated by the the USDA in its report, “International food security assessment, 2011-21.” Available from: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/GFA22/GFA22.pdf. 32 Switzerland. 2011. Zero Draft submission for UNCSD 2012 (Rio+20). Retrieved from http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/Switzerland%20Submission%20UNCSD%202012%20(final)%20-%201%20November%202011.pdf on January 17, 2012. 33 http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS00-04.pdf 34 Millennium Development Goals, Target 1C, Indicator 1.9. 35 These three aspects are commonly referred to in discussion of goals for global equity. See, e.g., International Monetary Fund. 1999. Should Equity Be a Goal of Economic Policy?. IMF Fiscal Affairs Department. Viewable at: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/issues/issues16/index.htm. 36 Based on the report “Women’s vision for Rio+20: An equitable and sustainable world” by the Women’s Working Group, available here: http://www.womenrio20.org/. 37 The Group of 77 and China supports building local food production capacity by small-scale farmers. For more information, see the G77 and China zero draft submission available here: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?page=view&nr=399&type=510&menu=20&template=509&str=local%20food%20production&style=exact&case=&wholeword=. 38 Many countries use inflation targets including those for specific commodity groups. See, e.g. Table 1.1. in Ito, Takatosh and Tomoko Hayashi. 2004. Inflation Targeting in Asia. HKIMR Occasional Paper No.1. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research. 39 The IMF food price index tracks the spot prices of the 22 most commonly internationally traded agricultural food items. These include major grains—wheat, rice, and corn; oil seeds—soybeans; edible oils—palm oil; basic meats—beef carcasses; some basic seafood items—fish meal; some tropical fruits—bananas; and sugar.

1

Current Ideas on Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators

Current Ideas on Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators

1. Introduction

This information note provides summary information on the

measurement of sustainable development. The focus of the note

is on the current suggestions on Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs). It brings together proposals and ideas in this regard,

especially those, which have been made in the regional,

nationally led as well as other contributions to Rio+20.

2. The call to measure and monitor sustainable

development

Sustainable development indicators1 and composite indicators

2

are considered to be a good vehicle in helping to measure

sustainable development and progress achieved in it. Such

indicators are meant to present complex data and trends in

simplified form to policy makers. They can help to share policy on

the basis of information which is transparent and evidence-

based.

Currently there is no single, universally accepted definition or

assessment metrics for sustainable development. There are no

internationally agreed sustainable development indicators that

would help monitor progress.

The World Commission on Environment and Development called3

for the development of new ways to measure and assess

progress. This need was echoed in Agenda 214 which calls on

countries and the international community to develop indicators

of sustainable development. The Johannesburg Plan of

Implementation5 and the UN Commission on Sustainable

Development (CSD)6 encouraged further work on indicators for

sustainable development by countries, in line with their specific

conditions and priorities7.

1 A statistical measure that gives an indication on the sustainability of

social, environmental and economic development. 2 A composite indicator is the compilation of individual indicators into a

single index, on the basis of an underlying model of the multi-

dimensional concept that is being measured. 3 United Nations General Assembly (1987), Our Common Future. Report

of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Published

as Annex to General Assembly document A/42/427 - Development and

International Co-operation: Environment. 4 Chapter 40 “Information for Decision-Making”

5 Chapter X

6 CSD-11, CSD-13.

7 CSD-13 invited the international community to support efforts of

developing countries in this regard.

The Bellagio Principles for Sustainable Development8, developed

by a group of experts, discuss the basic principles of monitoring

sustainable development. Also the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi-report9,

an initiative by the French Government, recommends that the

international community expedite the development of

measurement systems of sustainable development and welfare.

3. Sustainable Development Goals suggestions by

member states and other stakeholders

On the substantive issues of Rio+20, several focus areas for

priority attention are emerging from member states and other

stakeholders in the pre-negotiation phase. Table 1 provides an

indicative list based on the first two Preparatory Committee

meetings, but member States’ and other stakeholders’

submissions to the compilation text suggest others.

There is also growing support for the elaboration of a set of

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Rio+20, or at least for

beginning a process to define with a view to endorsing such goals

– possibly as part of the General Assembly-mandated work on a

post-2015 development agenda. The SDGs could also become the

new basis for redefining the MDGs, building on the experience

with the MDGs. Others have suggested that the SDGs could be

seen as complementary to the MDGs.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called for a set of

sustainable development goals. In his words, “Let us develop a

new generation of sustainable development goals to pick up

where the MDGs leave off. Let us agree on the means to achieve

them“10

.

The Governments of Colombia and Guatemala11

and the world’s

civil society organisations (CSOs) have suggested12

that a key

8 Hodge, R.A. and Hardi, P. (1997) The need for guidelines: the rationale

underlying the Bellagio principles for assessment. In Hardi, P. and Zdan,

T. (editors), Assessing Sustainable Development: Principles in Practice,

International Institute for Sustainable Development, Winnipeg, pp 7-20 9 The Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and

Social Progress (2009), Report of the Commission on the Measurement

of Economic Performance and Social Progress. 10

The Secretary General’s Report to the General Assembly – “We the

Peoples”. Speech as delivered, New York, 21 September 2011. 11

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Republica de Colombia (2011),

Rio+20: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A Proposal from the

Governments of Colombia and Guatemala. 12

Declaration of the 64th

Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference (2011), Chair’s

Text. Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens.

RIO 2012 Issues Briefs Produced by the UNCSD Secretariat No. 6

2

Table 1. Focus areas for priority attention at Rio+20

as articulated by member states and major groups in the PrepComs

Focus areas for priority attention

1. Green jobs, youth employment and social inclusion

2. Energy access, efficiency, sustainability

3. Food security and sustainable agriculture

4. Water

5. Sustainable cities

6. Management of the oceans, fisheries and other marine resources

7. Improved resilience and disaster preparedness

Table 2. Suggestions of themes for Sustainable Development Goals

The Governments of

Colombia and Guatemala CSOs

Combating Poverty SDG1 Sustainable Consumption and Production

Changing Consumption Patterns SDG2 Sustainable livelihoods, youth & education

Promoting Sustainable Human Settlement

Development

SDG3 Climate sustainability

Biodiversity and Forests SDG4 Clean energy

Oceans SDG5 Biodiversity

Water Resources SDG6 Water

Advancing Food Security SDG7 Healthy seas and oceans

Energy, including from renewable sources SDG8 Healthy forests

SDG9 Sustainable agriculture

SDG10 Green cities

SDG11 Subsidies and investment

SDG12 New Indicators of progress

SDG13 Access to information

SDG14 Public participation

SDG15 Access to redress and remedy

SDG16 Environmental justice for the poor and

marginalized

SDG17 Basic health

outcome of the Rio+20-process be the definition and agreement

of a suite of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Table 2).

Also, numerous member States and other stakeholders have

referred positively to the development of SDGs in their

submissions for the Rio+20 compilation text.14

14

To see all the current suggestions on SDGs please see the inputs to the

UNCSD compilation document, available at:

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=115.

3.1 The proposal of the Governments of Colombia

and Guatemala

In their proposal the Governments of Colombia and Guatemala

suggest that Rio+20 should bring an agreement on a set of

aspirational sustainable development goals, or objectives, at a

broad level. Priority should be given to themes and issues that are

considered critical factors in moving forward the sustainable

development agenda. This could be based on the assessment of

gaps in implementation and of the emerging issues identified in

the Rio+20 preparatory process. The result of the conference

3

would be twofold: 1) a definition of the thematic objectives and,

2) an agreement on a mandate to define subsequently (post-Rio)

how these goals, or objectives, would be further developed, and

on a process that could converge with the revision of the MDGs.

3.2 The proposal of world Civil Society Organisations

The common proposal of world CSOs includes a draft set of 17

SDGs. The set was prepared by a team of experts from 25

organisations15

, and is supported by 1,400 CSOs. Some of the

SDGs suggested are based on commitments already made by

governments and other stakeholders; others are newly proposed

by the CSOs. Each goal includes sub-goals, reasoning and

clarifications.

4. Examples of existing sustainable

development indicators

Even though there is no universally accepted definition or

assessment metrics for sustainable development, indicators and

indices for this purpose have been suggested by various

stakeholders. These existing sustainable development indicators

measure the state of sustainable development at local, regional

or national level. Some indicators have been developed to

measure whether the goals of strategies or policies are being

reached. Some are based on a capital-approach. Satellite-based

remote sensing techniques have also been applied16

.

In 1995, in response to the call of CSD, the Division for

Sustainable Development and the Statistics Division, both of the

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in

close collaboration with experts from international organisations

and UN member states, developed a set of 134 national

Indicators of Sustainable Development (CSD Indicators)17

. The

CSD Indicators and their methodology18

have since been revised

twice, in 2001 and in 200619

. The indicators reflect the chapters of

Agenda 21 and were originally developed on the basis of the

15

10 organisations from North, and 15 organisations from South. 16

For example The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) coordinates

efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

GEO was launched in response to calls for action by the 2002 World

Summit on Sustainable Development and by the G8 leading industrialized

countries. 17

From 1996 to 1999, 22 countries from across the world voluntarily

pilot-tested the indicator set. In order to facilitate this process, the DSD

developed guidelines for the implementation of the CSD indicators,

initiated a series of regional briefing and training workshops, and

encouraged the organization of national workshops and twinning

arrangements between testing countries. 18

UNDESA (2007) Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and

Methodologies. Third Edition. 19

The current CSD indicators contain a core set of 50 indicators, and

these core indicators are part of a larger set of 96 indicators of

sustainable development.

pressure-state-response-model20

. In 2006 they were modified to

reflect themes and sub-themes.

The CSD Indicators are voluntary, and are meant to assist

member states in their work of reviewing their existing indicators

or developing new indicators to measure progress towards

nationally defined goals for sustainable development.

Other UN-entities have also developed national indicators that

are directly or indirectly related to sustainable development. For

example, UNDP has developed the Human Development Index21

,

UNECA is developing its Sustainable Development Indicator

Framework for Africa22

, the Joint UNECE/OECD/Eurostat Task

Force for Measuring Sustainable Development is finalizing its

report23

, UNEP is preparing a measurement framework for its

Green Economy initiative24

, and the Convention on Biological

Diversity (CBD) is consulting on the indicators for the Aichi

Biodiversity Targets of its Strategic Plan25

. IAEA in collaboration

with other international organisations26

, the UN Secretary-

General’s strategy on Sustainable Energy for All27

and the Global

Bioenergy Partnership28

concentrate on goals and indicators that

focus on energy.

The OECD recently launched its national Your Better Life Index

and a set of indicators for its Green Growth Strategy29

. Eurostat

20

Pressure-State-Response-model was developed by the Organization

for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It was first used in

the organisation’s preliminary set of environmental indicators in 1991. It

is based on the fact that humans exert pressures on the ecosystem and

the society, which alter their state and call for certain responses. Its

primary focus is on ecological aspects although socioeconomic indicators

are also of interest. 21

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary composite index

that measures a country's average achievements in three basic aspects

of human development: health, knowledge, and income. 22

UNECA (2011) Workshop on Sustainable Development Indicator

Framework for Africa, 10 to 11 March 2011 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Provisional Agenda. 23

Due to be released in June 2012. 24

UNEP (2011) Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable

Development and Poverty Eradication. 25

CBD (2011) Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Decision X/2,

COP10. 26

IAEA (2005) Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development: Guidelines

and Methodologies. Vienna, Austria. 27

The strategy engages governments, the private sector, and civil society

partners to achieve three major goals by 2030: achieving universal access

to modern energy services; improving energy efficiency; and increasing

the share of energy generated from renewable resources. 28

In the 2005 Gleneagles Plan of Action, the G8 +5 (Brazil, China, India,

Mexico and South Africa) agreed to launch a Global Bioenergy

Partnership to support wider, cost effective, biomass and biofuels

deployment, particularly in developing countries where biomass use is

prevalent. 29

OECD (2011) Towards Green Growth - Monitoring Progress: OECD

Indicators.

4

uses a set of sustainable development indicators to monitor the

EU Sustainable Development Strategy and currently also works in

the context of the European Commission’s ‘GDP and beyond,

measuring progress in a changing world’ initiative.

Foundations and civil society organisations have developed

national indexes such as the Ecological Footprint and Sustainable

Society Index. Academia has developed the Sustainability

Assessment by Fuzzy Evaluation (SAFE), Happy Planet Index,

Environmental Sustainability Index (now the Environmental

Performance Index), Genuine Progress Indicator and the Index of

Sustainable Economic Welfare. Bhutan developed a Gross

National Happiness Index to measure the well being of its

citizens.

5. Conclusions, challenges

Sustainable development goals could assist in focusing the broad

international sustainable development agenda at a practical level.

They could serve as a tool for countries to measure their progress

as well as further cooperation between countries. According to

the proposal of the Governments of Colombia and Guatemala,

Rio+20 could serve as a platform for the international community

to identify broad sustainable development objectives and to

begin a process of defining concrete goals. This could help in

identifying gaps and needs and aid the structured

implementation of the principles and goals that were agreed in

Rio in 1992.

The international community may also wish to consider including

in this SDG discussion the development of a possible set of

indicators to measure progress on the SDGs. Indicators have

proven useful in measuring progress on the MDGs, for example.

The development of SDGs and indicators is likely to have the best

development impact and ownership if they emerge from a

transparent, participatory, and consultative process. The

development of methodological guidance on the indicators,

implementation guidelines on indicators, baselines and an

effective reporting framework is equally important. There is merit

in using an internationally agreed statistical framework, such as

the SEEA30

, as the basis for indicators.

Thought must be given to the relationship between SDGs and

MDGs in the post-2015 development agenda. The Millennium

Declaration will still be relevant beyond 201531

. The MDGs have

been successful in communicating a complex development

30

SEEA is developed by the UN Committee of Experts on Environmental-

Economic Accounting. 31

United Nations General Assembly (2011) Accelerating Progress

towards the Millennium Development Goals: options for sustained and

inclusive growth and issues for advancing the United Nations

development agenda beyond 2015. Annual report of the Secretary-

General. A/66/126.

problem to a wider audience and focusing energies and

resources. At the same time, sustainable development requires

additional efforts in all areas, including those not adequately

reflected in the original MDGs.

It has been suggested by many stakeholders that sustainable

consumption and production related goals and targets be

considered in a set of SDGs – indeed, “changing consumption

patterns” is mentioned as a theme in the proposal of the

Governments of Colombia and Guatemala. The developed

countries’ ecological footprints continue to expand, suggesting

little tendency so far for delinking of economic activity from

environmental degradation.32

While the MDGs applied only to the

developing world, the SDGs could build up on the success of the

MDG-framework and would apply to the whole world.

The challenge is to develop sustainable development goals that

have a wide political and policy appeal and will help focus

attention, particularly in the post Rio+20 phase, on monitoring

the implementation of Rio+20 outcomes. At the same time these

goals need to be sufficiently rigorous to provide a valuable basis

for decision making, especially at the national level, and be of use

to the national policy community.

The purpose of the Rio 2012 Issues Briefs is to provide a channel

for policymakers and other interested stakeholders to discuss and

review issues relevant to the objective and themes of the

conference, including a green economy in the context of

sustainable development and poverty eradication, as well as the

institutional framework for sustainable development.

For further information on this Brief, contact Liisa-Maija Harju

(harju@un.org).

32

UNDESA (2010) Trends in Sustainable Development – Towards

Sustainable Consumption and Production:: 2010-2011.

33

ANNEX D

CSO proposal for SDGs

CSOs from around the world in DPI/NGO Bonn Conference agree on 17 Sustainable Development goals to take to Rio+20 : To achieve the goals of Rio + 20 in an ambitious, time-bound and accountable manner, we call upon governments in accordance with human rights, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities to adopt the following draft Sustainable Development Goals together with the sub-goals, reasons and clarifications relating to each goal: The goals below are aspirational. While some of these are based on commitments already made by governments and other stakeholders, others are proposed on the basis of advanced thinking among civil society organizations. 1. SDG – SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION: By 2020, consistent with the Biodiversity Strategic Plan adopted at the 10th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (“CBD COP10”), the human ecological footprint is reduced so that it remains within the Earth’s biological carrying capacity. In accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, we call on nations and populations engaged in wasteful overconsumption to reduce their impacts and help increase the consumption of vital goods and services for impoverished nations and peoples, so they also can enjoy reasonably high standards of living that provide equitable access to health care, decent work opportunities and education. By 2020, governments should promote production processes that reflect the best available technologies for eco-efficiency, recycling, remanufacturing, reuse of waste materials, product durability and longevity. Wasteful practices such as planned obsolescence are identified and eliminated. Public procurement standards and incentives reward leading corporations that share and disseminate best green practices worldwide. By 2020, the majority of the world’s goods and services are procured by governments from sources certified by objective third parties as sustainably produced. This goal is tied to the preparation and implementation of sustainability or green economy roadmaps, that consider and address commonly agreed sustainability principles, adopt sustainable development goals in critical areas, and implement governance reforms to foster the transition to a green economy and to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development. Further, establish a set of Millennium Consumption Goals for the period 2012-2020 towards creating an intergenerational and internationally shared right to equitable consumption opportunities and ensuring quality of life and wellbeing of all people by 2020, while eradicating all kinds and levels of poverty, respecting animal welfare and embedding sufficiency based sustainable economies. 2. SDG – SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS, YOUTH & EDUCATION: By 2015, nations commit to the principle of sustainable livelihoods as a right for all people and implement monetary, fiscal and language policies to encourage full and decent work. By 2020, biodiversity and ecosystem service considerations are mainstreamed within existing rural development platforms and initiatives to conserve sustainable livelihoods in indigenous and local communities that depend on natural capital for survival. By 2015, governments incorporate within development frameworks as a priority, investments in the education, health and employment of young people, who constitute a large proportion of the population of developing countries and face disproportionate levels of poverty, unemployment, gender discrimination and ill health. Governments should support comprehensive policies, youth

34

participation and multisectoral programmes that empower present and future generations to fully and freely exercise their human rights, fulfill their aspirations and be productive citizens. By 2030, national governments reorient all national aims and objectives towards achieving sustainable societies and will mainstream sustainable development into all national educational policies and curricula By 2020, consistent with the Biodiversity Strategic Plan adopted at CBD COP10, governments ensure that people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the step they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. 3. SDG -CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY: By 2050, governments should have reached clear pathways towards climate sustainability that regulates the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees C. Emissions of greenhouse gases should be reduced to 25% of 1990 levels by 2020, 40% by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 80% by 2050. Carbon taxes and tariffs should be in place to provide incentives for low-carbon development and manufacturing, finance GHG emissions reduction projects, REDD+ and other offset mechanisms, and green infrastructure solutions to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. Developed countries, as the main cause of climate change, in assuming their historical responsibility, must recognize and honor their climate debt in all of its dimensions as the basis for a just, effective, and scientific solution to climate change. The above goal shall include the equitable sharing of remaining atmospheric space, considering past use and consumption and mid and long-term emission reduction targets that are in line with what the science requires. 4. SDG – CLEAN ENERGY: By 2030, at least 50% of the world’s energy supply comes from renewable sources. By 2020 energy demand is reduced through efficiency and conservation by at least 20%. By 2030 energy poverty is eliminated by providing universal access to modern energy services from renewable sources. 5. SDG - BIODIVERSITY: Governments are urged to honor their commitments to implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, in particular those related to the Green Economy such as Target 2: “By 2020, at the latest, biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes and are being incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate, and reporting systems”; and Target 3: “By 2020, at the latest, incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated, phased out or reformed in order to minimize or avoid negative impacts.” We urge governments to support investments in natural infrastructure and ecological restoration and to facilitate the development of markets that value the regulatory services provided by ecosystems. 6. SDG –WATER: By 2030, governments will achieve universal availability of an acceptable quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems and production, adequate sanitation, coupled with an acceptable level of water-related risks to people, environments and economies. This goal is over and above the achievement of the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals. The right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation shall be recognized as a human right and it shall be the responsibility of all states to respect such right. As an interim goal, by 2015 the proportion of people unable to reach or afford safe drinking water, and without access to basic sanitation, shall be halved as agreed in the JPOI. By 2020, local, municipal and national governments and all stakeholders commit to achieve the following intermediate targets: - 20% increase in total food supply-chain efficiency – reducing losses and waste from field to fork; - 20% increase in water efficiency in agriculture – more nutrition and crop per drop;

35

- 20% increase in water use efficiency in energy production – more kWh per drop; - 20% increase in the quantity of water reused; - 20% decrease in water pollution; 7. SDG – HEALTHY SEAS AND OCEANS (BLUE ECONOMY): By 2020, consistent with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, governments establish at least 10% coastal and marine areas. By 2030, oceanic dead zones will be recovered by reducing nitrogen runoff from land by 50% or more. By 2020, Marine Protected Areas will be established in at least 25% of each Exclusive Economic Zones (“EEZ”) and the high seas in representative networks capable of restoring minimum viable populations of all at-risk stocks, protecting marine biological diversity, and maximizing benefits to commercial and subsistence fishers in surrounding waters. By 2015, the use of bottom trawling, dynamite fishing, electro-fishing, poisons and other unsustainable practices will be eliminated. By 2030, reverse the decline of fish stocks and create sustainable and diverse and abundant fish stocks, supported by healthy habitat to provide for the needs of all users, and by 2015, ban the practice of shark finning. We also make the following policy recommendations: (a) reduce plastic pollution in the oceans, including by banning or taxing single-use plastics, supporting the use of recycled plastics in new products, and holding manufacturers responsible for plastics through their entire life cycle; (b) establish an international monitoring network for ocean acidification to enable the identification of vulnerable regions and industries and to provide an early warning system for industries already experiencing harm; (c) designate the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean as a zone for international scientific cooperation, where extractive and polluting activities are suspended until we have a better understanding of the area and the potential effects of such activities; and (d) schedule, as a matter of urgency, an intergovernmental conference to address the multiplying threats to ocean areas beyond the jurisdiction of individual nations. 8. SDG – HEALTHY FORESTS: By 2020, all remaining frontier forests are protected from conversion and degradation, consistent with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity adopted at COP10, with a well-resourced and equably governed REDD+ mechanism in place, which respects the rights and knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities and other environmental and governance safeguards, to reward developing countries for protection and sustainable management of their forests, not only for carbon capture and storage but for their wider ecological services. A policy of no net loss of forestland, globally and nationally, is also achieved by 2020. At that time, all new forest areas cleared will be offset by ecologically sound restoration of forests in nearby areas. Restoration of over 150 million hectares of cleared or degraded forest landscapes is achieved by 2020, with the creation of millions of new jobs and enhanced livelihoods, improved security and adaptation to climate change. Reduce deforestation emissions by key corporations and their supply chains committing to avoid the purchase of products that cause deforestation, such as soy or cattle from deforested lands in the Brazilian Amazon, palm oil from deforested agricultural land in Indonesia, or illegal wood and wood products throughout the world. Additionally, for stakeholders everywhere to undertake and/or participate in large-scale, environmentally and socially responsible reforestation efforts. Measures proposed under the Clean Development Mechanism (“CDM”) must be carefully examined by the communities depending on forests for their subsistence, as we see that they favor already important land-grabbing and the destruction of their livelihoods. At Rio+20, we call on governments to pledge concrete and systematic support and promotion of multi stakeholder managed forest certification systems, in all parts of the world, with particular emphasis on tropical rainforests. 9. SDG - SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: By 2030, global agricultural production is transformed

36

from industrial to sustainable. Chemical inputs, herbicides, and pesticides are largely replaced with organic and biological alternatives. Interspersed natural areas are protected and restored as sources of pollination, pest control and soil fertility. Food for export is secondary to food for local consumption. Cultivated crop strains are diversified, as are production techniques and the mix of agricultural producers. Best management practices reduce erosion by 90% and nitrogen runoff by 50% or more. Local ecological knowledge of indigenous peoples, traditional, and local communities is utilized to identify resilient crops and cultivation practices that provide maximum protection against climate change. This goal should also include sustainable and humane food systems that provide healthy food to meet current food needs while maintaining healthy ecosystems, farmer resilience, and ensure good animal health and welfare that can also provide food for generations to come with minimal negative impact to the environment, through agro-ecological farming systems. We consider the right to keep their own seeds as an important issue of farming. A sustainable and humane food system should promote food sovereignty of communities, empower small-scale food producers in food and agricultural governance, and also encourage local production and distribution infrastructures with equal opportunities for men and women farmers, and the important role of youth in this area, and makes nutritious food available, accessible, and affordable to all, while at the same time providing sustainable livelihoods to producers through the payment of fair prices for their products. Sustainable food systems must be based on food sovereignty and the right for small-scale peasants, women’s groups and local communities to plant and exchange their seeds and share their knowledge. Give strong and increasing support to small scale farming, producing healthy foods through targeted research, extension services and enabling conditions, and wherever possible, vegetarian diets, and to ensure womens’ property and inheritance rights. Recognize and support by all means possible, the important role and special needs of women as the primary producers and purchasers of food, along with the implementation of women's property and inheritance rights. 10. SDG - GREEN CITIES: By 2030, cities have developed and are implementing action plans to address transport, public health and environmental needs in a harmonious and integrated way. By 2030, from the local to national, government policies foster compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented, urban development that minimizes energy use and maximizes residential health and that reflects the concept of a society for all ages. All new buildings meet green building standards by 2030. By 2030, city transport needs are or remain predominantly met by mass transport, walking and bicycling. Quality of life is also improved for residents by 2030, providing access to green buildings with urban rooftop gardens, clean water, clean energy, waste management systems and sustainable transport. By 2030, urban areas with significant storm water pollution issues reduce impervious surface area by 30% below 2012 levels. 11. SDG - SUBSIDIES AND INVESTMENT: By 2020 at the latest, consistent with the Biodiversity Strategic Plan adopted at CBD COP10, harmful incentives, including subsidies, for fossil fuel production, unsustainable agricultural, fisheries and forest practices, and those harmful to biodiversity, are eliminated, phased out or redirected to promote renewable energy, sustainable practices and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. By 2015, governments commit to a minimum investment of 2% of GDP per year to foster the transition to a green economy, taking into account national socio-economic conditions. 12. SDG - NEW INDICATORS OF PROGRESS: By 2020, nations supplement or replace GDP with a new measure of sustainable economic welfare based on best available information at that time. Economic performance and the forecasted effects of policy changes will be measured by this new metric. We encourage a process of continuous improvement and refinement of the new measure over time and an international process to set standards and make available common methods and

37

data sources. We also encourage the adoption of several other headline indicators of environmental, economic, social, cultural and linguistic sustainability to provide a measure of progress towards the green economy transition, such as civic participation, improved well-being and achievement of sustainable development goals. 13. SDG - ACCESS TO INFORMATION: By 2022, governments will enact and implement Freedom of Information laws giving people the right to obtain accurate and truthful information held by their government, especially on the environment. Governments will actively make available to all stakeholders useful, accurate and truthful well-publicized data and information in appropriate formats and languages, including on the internet. These laws should include whistleblower protection and should extend to information disclosure by corporations. 14. SDG - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: By 2022, governments need to ensure that voluntarism and citizen engagement are incorporated in all global, national and local action plans for implementation of sustainable development and human well-being, to commit to the creation of an enabling environment for citizen engagement and voluntary action, and will include mandatory public participation in (a) major development project approvals and environmental impact assessment procedures, (b) drafting of national level sustainable development policies, laws and regulations and (c) administrative decisions such as pollution permitting. 15. SDG - ACCESS TO REDRESS AND REMEDY: By 2022, governments will adopt and implement laws ensuring effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings concerning sustainable development, including redress and remedy. In particular, they will ensure that the costs of such proceedings are reasonable and affordable to affected people and that access to such proceedings is available through expansion of legal standing and other means to interested people and organizations. 16. SDG - ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED: By 2022, governments will adopt laws that obligate government agencies to take appropriate measures to provide information and engage affected people living in poverty, women and other disadvantaged groups when making sustainable development decisions. 17. SDG – BASIC HEALTH: By 2015, to support attainment of the health MDGs, and to contribute to health, well-being and sustainable development, ensure universal access to health care and services, wherever feasible, free at the point of use for women and children, and including sexual and reproductive health, and thus strengthen the resilience of people and communities to the consequences of climate change and environmental degradation. We call on governments to foster sustainable health systems as an indispensable condition for sustainable development of societies through provision of essential health services, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and production of healthy cross-sectoral public policies. We endorse the finalization of a global mercury treaty by February 2013 that will aggressively limit the global use and trade in mercury and reduce global mercury emissions; We recommend a ban on the export of mercury and the mining of mercury for export and secure the agreement by chlor-alkali and mining companies not to place mercury into commerce and take responsibility for ensuring its safe management. We recommend the creation new partnerships around the responsible sourcing of raw materials for production and the regulation of specific harmful chemicals. We call for the further strengthening the World Health Organization in this process. We call on governments to address social determinants of health as a means of reducing global

38

health inequities through acknowledging that all policies affect health. Health equity is paramount towards sustainable societies. We call on governments to make direct and relevant interventions to improve young peoples' health ensuring their role as agents of change for a sustainable society, and to ensure the development of financing mechanisms for health systems. We welcome the recognition of the work of the United Nations Volunteer program as the focal point for the follow-up to the International Year of Volunteers, and request it to continue to raise awareness of the contribution of volunteerism to sustainable development, to act as a convener on the subject for the various interested stakeholders, to make available networking and reference resources and to provide technical cooperation to developing countries, at their request. We call upon the United Nations, through its regular budgetary process and mechanisms, to enable the UN Department of Communications and Public Information (“DPI”) to host this annual Conference and to provide DPI with consistent and predictable financial and human resources that are needed to do so. We thank the people and Government of Germany and the city and Mayor of Bonn for their warm welcome and for hosting the 64th annual Conference of the UN Department of Public Information for Non-Governmental Organizations. We ask that all parties involved with UN conferences on increase their efforts towards reducing the ecological footprint of these events and hereby setting a positive example. Copyright (c) United Nations 2011